114 bars owned by gov’t officials closed in Kirinyaga

Some 114 bars owned by county and national government officials in Kirinyaga County were on Monday shut down.

According to  Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hussein Allasow Hussein, the government is alert to ensure that the bars are not reopened.

“Some of them are trying to quickly transfer them to third parties but they won’t succeed. We have already identified them and closed them,” he said.

Allasow spoke at Kagio in Mwea West sub-county during a media council workshop.

“We want those government officers in Kirinyaga to enforce alcoholic drinks control with no interest,” the administrator said.

The county commissioner added that the 114 are among over 400 bars that have been closed in the government’s crackdown on illicit alcohol trade.

He said 85 beer traders found operating bars without licenses have already been arrested and prosecuted.

The closure comes in the wake of a government directive that public officers who own or operate close them or resign.

A March 13 memo by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the directive affects all public officers in the enforcement and compliance chain such as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Public Health, National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), National Government Administrative officers (NGAO) and National Police Service (NPS).

“Cross-referencing by the Public Service Commission and other agencies will be done to confirm compliance,” the PS said then.